Coffee & Commentary

Victory and Venture

October - 1994

The crowd roared and the game was won. I had no bloody clue which team had declared victory. I only had eyes on the Portree seeker and I knew he didn't have the snitch. My eyes darted across the pitch to find our seeker. I made contact with Seth Dougan, our All Star Chaser. His fist pumped into the air as he shouted something I couldn't hear over the deafening celebration of Catapults fans and supporters. I knew in the moment, the League Cup was ours.

Butterbeer and champagne flowed freely in the team's changing tent as we celebrated and shared hugs and encouragement all around. "You really have been a star, Cassiopeia. Are you positive there is nothing we can do to get you to stay another year?", team owner Dave Cynan begged as he hugged me in celebration. I shook my champagne covered head.

"Playing for your team is the dream of thousands of young witches and wizards. I didn't know it was my dream until you gave me the chance. It has been the honor of a lifetime, but I have a life-long dream waiting to be fulfilled as soon as possible. I will always be part of the Catapults family and will be a fan and friend for life." I hugged the man who gave me the opportunity of a lifetime. "I don't want to let you go, Kiddo, but I know you are due for an interview with a pretty special correspondent for the Daily Prophet. Get up to the media box and we will all join you before you know it."

I found Murphy and jumped into his arms. He covered my sweaty, champagne coated, and smiling face in kisses. His days of impartiality were over. My quidditch career was over and his would soon begin as we started our life together in Kenmare. We were ushered out to the seating area of the VIP box to give our interview in front of the thousands of fans. I lit up at the sight of the familiar faces who had come to support me in my last game. Murphy had outdone himself with the guest list. His microphone squeaked and silenced the crowd below.

"Katriona Cassiopeia: Rising Star, you flew onto the professional scene and blew us all away for two short years. How des it feel to end your career by winning a League Cup?" he handed the microphone to me with a smile. "I think that it is a rookie's dream just as much as it is a long-term player's dream. I can't imagine anything making this a happier occasion. Personally, this will always be the most memorable day of my life. Professionally, this is the pinnacle of everything I have worked for in the past eight and a half years."  I returned his microphone and rested my arm on the back of his chair, my legs were weak from the physical exertion from the game and the excitement from the win.

"Miss Cassiopeia, as you reflect on those past eight years of playing and winning five school championship and a League Cup, what would you say has been the most important part of your journey to this moment?" he handed me the microphone. The answer was easy, but I couldn't get the words out right away. I looked around the VIP box at my friends and family while tried to articulate the emotions bubbling in my heart.

Professor Flitwick nodded in encouragement as I scanned the crowd. My dad was wide-eyed as he and Arthur Weasley feverishly shared a recap of the game. I couldn't wait to compare championship rings with my dad. Penny and Skye were dressed subtly in shades of green and red. Skye was not allowed to dress with a Catapults logo as she had recently been named captain of the Wanderers. It meant the world to have her support here today. Orion gave me a proud smile as he bounced his young daughter, Stella, on his knee. She was dressed in the miniature Cassiopeia jersey I had specially made for my goddaughter. The words I needed came rushing out in a tidal wave of emotion.

"The biggest part of this journey has been love. When I started playing quidditch, I was searching for my brother. In my team captain, Orion Amai, I found the brother I always wanted. My father, who taught me the spirit of competition and a love for all sports is here today. He is a stranger to this world and likely had to experience a lot of things that made him uncomfortable in order to be here for me today. His sacrifices continue to astound me. My best friends, Penny and Skye Parkin, they are here supporting this team today. If you know these ladies, you'll know that getting them to cheer for anyone but Wigtown was nothing short of a miracle. The love of my friends, mentors, teammates and family is what got me here today... and in you, Murphy, I have found the most consuming kind of love. Your love is the reason I am standing here with knowledge and passion for this game. Your love is the reason I am standing in this uniform today. Your love has transformed my career, my goals, and my entire life. I love you with everything that I am, for everything that you are, now and forever." I slid onto his lap and kissed him the moment the words escaped my lips.

Members of the audience gasped and cheered as they collectively understood the scene unfolding before them. Murphy held me close as we took in the applause of our friends, family, and fans. I opened my robes to reveal his snitch pin was affixed to my game jersey. I reached to his chest to trace the shape of Cassiopeia on his new pin. He moved away and reached into the pocket his pin covered. He took a deep breath, held me closer and raised the microphone to his lips.

"My friends, my fans, my family... my entire life, professionally and personally, I have always known as 'McNully'. When I was a boy with a crush, your refusal to use my last name caused a lot of sleepless nights. I couldn't wrap my mind around why you were different... why you were the only one who held out. Now, as a man in love, I had another sleepless night just last night... all caused by the thought of asking you... not just to use my last name, but to to take my last name for yourself. Katriona Cassiopea, will you allow me to call you McNully?" his hand shook as he pulled a blue velvet box out of his Cassiopeia studded shirt pocket.

The crowd went absolutely silent. Our seeker's hand flinched at the sight of the ring. It had a gold band with a large center diamond, two tapered baguette diamonds flanked the centre stone. Memories of my dad and Murphy playing tiny-quidditch on the night they met flooded to my mind. This was the snitch they didn't want me to see. More than three years had passed since that night. I laughed at the memory as I stared at the tiny snitch shape in his hand. I saw the look on Murphy's face change from nervousness to terror as he waited for my answer.

I blinked tears away from my eyes and looked deeply into his. "100% Yes!"